Ford Probe
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The Ford Probe was a car produced by Ford between 1989 and 1997, with a redesign in 1993. It was sold in the European, Australian, and North American markets. A sporty coupe, the Probe was intended to fill the market niche formerly occupied by the Capri in Europe, and although it was intended as the replacement to the Ford EXP, it was also considered a possible replacement for the Ford Mustang in the North American market. Fans objected to the front wheel drive configuration, Japanese heritage, and lack of a V8, so Ford went to work on a new design for the Mustang instead.
The Probe was mechanically identical to the Mazda MX-6, and both cars shared the Mazda GD platform (1988 to 1992) and GE platform (1993 to 1997). In North America, the Probe and MX-6 were both assembled together by the Ford/Mazda joint venture, AutoAlliance International.
Sales were not up to Ford's expectations, selling only 837,273 units in its eight year production run. The styling, while modern, was not universally liked. The of the car's name did not endear itself to prospective buyers. Sales of the Probe were finally discontinued in 1997, selling only 32,505 units.
In 1994 there was a "special edition" Probe that came in Royal Plum Pearl Metallic Clearcoat (more commonly known as Wild Orchid). While the special edition's features were limited, they included: purple colored material in the center of the seats, "PROBE" stitched in purple on the floormats, and the "PROBE" emblem on the back of the car was outlined also in purple.
In 1997 a GTS model was offered. It had no more performance than the regular GT, but exterior modifications were instantly recognizable. Dual racing stripes available in either white or black started at the top edge of the front bumper and continued on to the back lip of the hatch, terminating just below the center light reflector on the rear bumper. Chrome wheels and a spoiler were also included in the package, as well as having a "blank" center reflector which lacked "GT" lettering that was characteristic to the Australian and European models which were available in either 16V and 24V versus "GT","SE",or base model in North America.
Originally, the Probe was only supposed to be on a year hiatus, as there were plans to bring it back in 1999 as a sibling to the Contour-based, front wheel drive Mercury Cougar. These plans were scrapped, however, likely because of sluggsih sales figures for the Cougar.
Models
| Year | Model | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 mph (97 km/h) | .25 mi (0.4 km) | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–1992 | base | 2.2 L (2184 cc) F2 I4 | 110 hp (82 kW) | 130 ft·lbf (176 N·m) | |||
| 1989–1992 | GT | 2.2 L (2184 cc) F2T turbo I4 | 145 hp (108 kW) at 4300 rpm | 203 ft·lbf (275 N·m) at 3500 rpm | 7.0 | 15.3 at 90 mph (145 km/h) | 134 mph (216 km/h) |
| 1990–1992 | LX | 3.0 L (2982 cc) Vulcan V6 | 140–145 hp (104–108 kW) | 160–165 ft·lbf (216–223 N·m) | |||
| 1993–1997 | base | 2.0 L (1991 cc) FS I4 | 130 hp (97 kW) | 135 ft·lbf (183 N·m) | |||
| 1993 | GT | 2.5 L (2497 cc) KL-DE V6 | 164 hp (122 kW) at 5600 rpm | 156 ft·lbf (212 N·m) at 4000 rpm | 7.5 | 15.5 at 89 mph (143 km/h) | 133 mph (214 km/h) |
| 1994–1997 | GT | 2.5 L (2497 cc) KL-DE V6 | 164 hp (122 kW) at 5600 rpm | 160 ft·lbf (217 N·m) at 4000 rpm | 7.5 | 15.5 at 89 mph (143 km/h) | 133 mph (214 km/h) |
Trivia
- Because the Probe's design was considered to be ahead of its time, in the movie Back to the Future II, when Marty travels to the future, many of the future cars appear to be modified Ford Probes.
- The Probe was the most aerodynamic car Ford had ever made at the time of its release.
- A blue Probe was the company car of grotesque sales rep Gareth Cheeseman in "Dearth Of A Salesman", an episode of Steve Coogan's TV series "Coogan's Run". In the programme, Cheeseman is inordinately proud of his car, which (perhaps inevitably) gets crushed at the finale. Some people believe that this programme sealed the Probe's fate in marketing terms, although the writers' choice of vehicle reflects the fact that it was already becoming a source of jokes, perhaps because of the name.
- As Christopher Brookmyre pointed out, it is unclear whether this is the most or least self-consciously named car in the history of the automobile industry.
Awards
The Probe GT was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1993. It also made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1989, 1993, and 1994.
References
See also
- Ford Cougar - the Mondeo based replacement for the Probe in Europe
- Ford EXP - the Probe's predecessor
External links
- [Probe Performance Club of Sweden] [Swedish Ford Probe owners club]
- [Performanceprobe.com] Information on the Ford Probe specs, styling, competition and history
- [Probetalk.com]
- [Cardomain.com] Ford Probe owner community
- [FPOK.co.uk] Ford Probe Owner's Club
- [United Kingdom Probe Owners Club]
- http://www.andie16v.co.uk 16v owners website info and links
- [Information about the Probe (german and English + massive gallery]
- [Probe-Enthusiast.com]
- [Fpoc.co.uk The UK Ford Probe Owner's Club]
- [Probes Northwest] Washington, Oregon, Idaho Probe Owners Club.
- [Tennessee Probe Owner's Club]
- [AUTIV Information on buying a 1993-97 Ford Probe GT]
- [Ford Probe Club of Poland (Ford Probe Klub Polska)]
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| Small family car | Escort III | Escort IV | Escort V | Escort Vb | Escort VI | Focus MKI | Focus MKII
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| Large family car | Sierra | Mondeo I | Mondeo II | Mondeo III | Mondeo IV | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Executive car | Granada II | Scorpio I / Granada III | Scorpio II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coupé | Puma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Probe | Cougar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact MPV | Focus C-MAX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Large MPV | S-MAX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Galaxy I | Galaxy II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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